Do you start your woodstove like this??

[Wayne02]

Do you use the "top down method" to start your woodstove?

http://www.woodheat.org/tips/topdown.htm

This is an interesting little video about starting a woodstove done by some folks in Canada.

http://www.ec.gc.ca/cleanair-airpur/...n&n=8011CD70-1

[Spinner]

No, tried it a few times and it smothered itself. I do it the old way... start a little fire, then add bigger stuff until it builds up a bed of coals, then put the "all nighter" logs in.

[Alice In TX/MO]

I put down a couple of logs with a space between.

In the space I put crumbled paper and some kindling.

On top of that, I make a crisscrossed few layers of kindling, sticks, small logs.

Start the fire. Let it burn a bit.

Add more logs.

[farminghandyman]

Yes we do, but our wood stove is a down draft design, and actually burns the fire in a sense up side down, but some times if it is totally empty we just start some small stuff paper and small chips and then some larger and get ti going first, (more for draft) and then add to it, will work either way, our stove is very draft dependant,

[sage_morgan]

small log w/a vertical plane in the back, then the waxy "brick" firestarter in front of that (light it), then a pc of wood with a vertical plane facing the firestarter in front of that, so that their tops are together-ish, then a pc of wood or bark or both across the top of both of them.

and patience.

[Cabin Fever]

We are mostly like sage_morgan in that we use the waxy firestarters. You can buy a case of these brick firestarters for about $7 on sale. A case contains 24 bricks. I cut each brick into 3 pieces. Each piece is about the size of a brownie. So, the case makes 72 firestarters, each starter costing about 10¢. That little 10¢ wax and sawdust block will start full size pieces of rain soaked firewood.

When we don't use the waxy starters, we'll use birch bark to start smaller pieces of firewood.

[soulsurvivor]

We use wood staves that have been discarded by the local whiskey barrel factory as our kindling. Wadded up newspaper pile, then criss crossing staves, then wadded up newspaper on top. Light top and bottom paper and shut main stove door, leaving top and bottom dampers open. Once this ignites and burns some, we pile in the heavy wood and allow this to catch fire, then we shut the stove down to a low simmer. We can make a fire last through the night and into the next late morning before adding more wood.

[ibcnya]

I use a propped up propane torch. Depending on how dry the wood is, a bottle will last four to six weeks.

[ET1 SS]

Crumpled newspaper, cardboard, scrap paneling/small wood, then bigger wood.

All stacked in layers like that before we light it.

Then once it gets going, we can add either: coal, or peat, or more wood.

[chickenista]

Originally Posted by Rose

I put down a couple of logs with a space between.

In the space I put crumbled paper and some kindling.

On top of that, I make a crisscrossed few layers of kindling, sticks, small logs.

Start the fire. Let it burn a bit.

Add more logs.

That is the way I do it too.

[Tiffin]

I do the top down method. I had heard about that somewhere else and it works for me. DH refuses to do it as he says his way works for him so why change, but he's old, lol. His way is the paper and kindling and then add small to big wood as it takes off. His way means he has to tend to it by opening and closing the door many times. My way often times is open and close door once and then walk away. May have to come back to mess with the air intake. This is a soapstone Hearthstone air tight stove.

[michiganfarmer]

Interesting thread.

Before I went to using a propane torch to start fires, I used crumpled paper on the bottom, then kindling, then larger pieces, but I cut the kindling long enough, and stacked it in a way that it held its own weight, and would not fall on the paper smothering it.

[Wisconsin Ann]

2 larger pieces of wood front and back, with space between; twists of newspaper in the space; kindling layed in between and crisscross...pieces larger as I go higher; larger pieces on top, but supported by the two larger logs on the bottom.

Never had a problem with it. Rarely have to go back to tend to it. I usually use homemade firestarters in place of the newspaper and twigs, tho. That works exceptionally well. Stack wood in the pyramid or crisscross, put a firestarter under it; light firestarter; close the door. Enjoy heat.

[caberjim]

If you have well seasoned wood and good kindling, this is an easy way to start a fire. Pile up your splits, layer some kindling, then some newspaper, then a few really small bits of kindling on top. Light the newspaper and whoosh. You get a better draft off the top, less smoke, quicker start.

[RVcook]

Thank you for posting this.

We purchased a home last year that had a wood furnace in it and this is the first year that we're using it. I have been using the "starting" instructions that came with the furnace and each and every time, the fire collapses and smothers itself. So frustrating!

Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks !

RVcook

[big rockpile]

Ok I have a Stove just like the one in the Vedio,going to have to try things different.

What gets me is I buy things like this Stove from Canada at a very good price,better for the environment,more efficient.Now why can't we do this in the U.S.

big rockpile

[stanb999]

Originally Posted by big rockpile

Ok I have a Stove just like the one in the Vedio,going to have to try things different.

What gets me is I buy things like this Stove from Canada at a very good price,better for the environment,more efficient.Now why can't we do this in the U.S.

big rockpile

You can, Check out England's stove works. They are US made. The Canadians are using our EPA standards. Not theirs. So in effect you bought a stove designed for the US market in Canada.



I do top down fires. They burn cleaner with less smoke and start easy. But no news paper here. I use a propane torch.

[Justaplain]

I use a cup of kerosene and my mother did to. Sometimes you close the lids a little quick, but she goes. bcs

[snoozy]

I make a V with two full-size pieces of firewood (with the point in the back of the firebox), then place crumpled paper, then small kindling topped with larger kindling in the angle of the V. The kindling fire superheats the two "walls" of the V and I rarely need more than one match to get a nice fire going quickly.

Of course, everyone's woodstove is different. I've got my system down for my stove, so I'm not going to do the counter-intuitive method described.

[raymilosh]

i read about this method several years ago and tried it. it works. it seems to produce less smoke. It did seem to take longer for the fire to get hot enough to start producing heat and I got impatient, so i went back to the bottom up way.